Election Countdown 2012: General Mills Came Out Against the Marriage Amendment, and More

In today's Election Countdown 2012 news: General Mills came out against the marriage amendment, which would prohibit LGBT couples from marrying; if approved, a new plan would commit Florida to a major project to clean up storm run-off before it flows into the Everglades; in Pennsylvania, a company plans to build a pumping station to withdraw up to three million gallons of water a day from the Susquehanna River, and send that water to frackers; and more.

“More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.” — Woody Allen

FL. Voting: “FL’s latest elections controversy began in the smallest of ways: a five-minute chat a year ago between Gov. Rick Scott and his top election official.” Good history. Environment: “[Environmental regulators and the state] hailed the agreement as a milestone in a decades-long dispute over cleaning up the River of Grass. If approved by two federal judges, it would commit FL to a major expansion of projects intended to clean up storm run-off before it flows into the Everglades.”

MI. “If I can’t say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas?” Emergency Manager Referendum: “[T]he 3-judge panel had stayed its own decision, while all the judges considered whether to rehear the case. On June 14, the other judges said they [did not]. The June 8 opinion says that the petition font really was too small, but that the panel is bound by a 2002 decision that says substantial compliance is good enough.” What is it with the right and fonts, anyhow?

MT. Columnist George Ochenski has re-appeared at the Missoula Independent, albeit with a smaller word count.

NY. Fracking: “We’re losing it,” said Sandy Rogers of her community, Bradford. ” … Gas well drilling is the way for us to go.” New York State Breast Cancer Network: “[Carcinogens] are used in the process and so those of us … who have had a cancer diagnosis … do not want to see these substances unleashed in any place in NY. Nobody’s doing the health impact study. Where is the health impact study? [T]he burden of proof is on the industry.”

The economy. TNR: “[T]he only way to get more stimulus in the spring of 2010 is if Obama had been laying the political groundwork for several months beforehand—that is, defending the first stimulus and making the case for more. And that clearly wasn’t possible during the all-consuming health care fight.” Walk, chew gum?

Robama vs. Obomey watch. Thrilloga in Cuyahoga: Both Obama and Romney give speeches on the economy in Cuyahoga, OH. Romney: 18 minutes. Obama: 48. “Reporters were kicked out of Mitt Romney’s talk at the Newseum in DC on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Times noted that the same thing happened when President Obama spoke to the group at the Newseum in March — making such actions part of a pattern for the Business Roundtable.”

Grand Bargain™-brand Catfood watch. Andrew Sullivan live blog of Obama in Cuyahoga: “2.56 pm. He insists that the only reason we have not made a Grand Bargain is the GOP insistence on protecting the very rich from any tax increases: “the biggest source of gridlock in Washington today.” The 1% can afford a little bit more. The 99% can’t afford any less. So why is trading tax cuts for the rich for social insurance cuts a good idea?

Election Countdown 2012: General Mills Came Out Against the Marriage Amendment, and More

In today's Election Countdown 2012 news: General Mills came out against the marriage amendment, which would prohibit LGBT couples from marrying; if approved, a new plan would commit Florida to a major project to clean up storm run-off before it flows into the Everglades; in Pennsylvania, a company plans to build a pumping station to withdraw up to three million gallons of water a day from the Susquehanna River, and send that water to frackers; and more.

“More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.” — Woody Allen

FL. Voting: “FL’s latest elections controversy began in the smallest of ways: a five-minute chat a year ago between Gov. Rick Scott and his top election official.” Good history. Environment: “[Environmental regulators and the state] hailed the agreement as a milestone in a decades-long dispute over cleaning up the River of Grass. If approved by two federal judges, it would commit FL to a major expansion of projects intended to clean up storm run-off before it flows into the Everglades.”

MI. “If I can’t say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas?” Emergency Manager Referendum: “[T]he 3-judge panel had stayed its own decision, while all the judges considered whether to rehear the case. On June 14, the other judges said they [did not]. The June 8 opinion says that the petition font really was too small, but that the panel is bound by a 2002 decision that says substantial compliance is good enough.” What is it with the right and fonts, anyhow?

MT. Columnist George Ochenski has re-appeared at the Missoula Independent, albeit with a smaller word count.

NY. Fracking: “We’re losing it,” said Sandy Rogers of her community, Bradford. ” … Gas well drilling is the way for us to go.” New York State Breast Cancer Network: “[Carcinogens] are used in the process and so those of us … who have had a cancer diagnosis … do not want to see these substances unleashed in any place in NY. Nobody’s doing the health impact study. Where is the health impact study? [T]he burden of proof is on the industry.”

The economy. TNR: “[T]he only way to get more stimulus in the spring of 2010 is if Obama had been laying the political groundwork for several months beforehand—that is, defending the first stimulus and making the case for more. And that clearly wasn’t possible during the all-consuming health care fight.” Walk, chew gum?

Robama vs. Obomey watch. Thrilloga in Cuyahoga: Both Obama and Romney give speeches on the economy in Cuyahoga, OH. Romney: 18 minutes. Obama: 48. “Reporters were kicked out of Mitt Romney’s talk at the Newseum in DC on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Times noted that the same thing happened when President Obama spoke to the group at the Newseum in March — making such actions part of a pattern for the Business Roundtable.”

Grand Bargain™-brand Catfood watch. Andrew Sullivan live blog of Obama in Cuyahoga: “2.56 pm. He insists that the only reason we have not made a Grand Bargain is the GOP insistence on protecting the very rich from any tax increases: “the biggest source of gridlock in Washington today.” The 1% can afford a little bit more. The 99% can’t afford any less. So why is trading tax cuts for the rich for social insurance cuts a good idea?